Help identify this item is.
 

Dear Colleagues. Help identify this item is. Its size is 65 cm.

http://i046.radikal.ru/1109/08/890ec252f7ba.jpg

http://i027.radikal.ru/1109/12/97d83682fd36.jpg

http://s013.radikal.ru/i325/1109/d2/db036a527a44.jpg

http://i048.radikal.ru/1109/9d/14c90b070911.jpg

http://s002.radikal.ru/i199/1109/22/413c2f77c80d.jpg

Looks like a yataghan of some sort.

The knife appears to be from the type referred to as Trabzon dagger/knife when looking at the grip slab shapes. The unusual bolster found on these piece appear to be missing... a few word searches will show more.

Gav

In Russian collectors have expressed our version of that item is from the Balkans

I would agree - it looks Greek to me based on the style of the images on the blade. The Trabzon examples usually have intricate multiple fullers.
Regards,
Teodor

I'm with Theodor on this one. Balkans or Greece would be my guess as well. Does the last photo show a date in the rectangular cartouche? The dragon engraving would signify an Orthodox christian symbolism, one would think St.George vs. the Dragon...

I also agree with Teodor - the trazbon would have multiple fullers. Couldn't judge well enough of the engravings to see if it was Balkan, although the ears on this would point to a Balkan yataghan.

Seems like an old Greek piece to me also.

Many countries from the general regions have dragons in their non Christian cultures....one example is that the Turkish loosely clasify their dragons as giant serpents usually without wings and sometimes without legs too....this does loosely resemble this...

I agree Gav - seen lots of dragons/serpents on yat pieces and they are talismanic and go back to before the yat. The arrows do throw me however.

No question. Two prime examples of the dragons on Islamic blades are the Furusiyya Foundation yatagan ca.1500, and the equally superb example in the Met, from the same workshop and time frame.
In this case though, I am more comfortable with the decorations on the blade not being Turkish, but Greek or Balkan. A necessary disclaimer - Islamic weapons [or Greek for that matter] are not my area of expertise.

looks like a balkan shepherd's knife. (greece is also on the balkan peninsula*)
distinctive karakulak (black ear) grip. blades can be either straight or yataghan types in assorted lengths.

reminds me of mine:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...nckew/yat1.jpg

*-remember, when these were fashionable, the nations and borders were not what they are now.

Here are pictures of a similar knife, collected in what is nowadays Bulgaria, and based on the mark on the blade, probably from the early 20th century. The zig-zag decoration on the hilt band is very Balkan.
Regards,
Teodor